Nope. I hadn’t even heard of them until a few days ago, when someone from a different country than mine mentioned them, so I went searching the web to figure out what they were. I’m so jealous!
Mines just a valve that controls the flow of hot vs tap water, I know this for a fact cause I installed it myself. Mind you that doesn’t give away the daisy chained together nature of my water hook up but hey it works.
This is a thermostatic shower mixer. This is what happens when they seize up with limescale. This is not normal operation. The cartridge needs to be replaced.
Are you sure about that? I don’t see any numeric temperature settings. Every thermostatic mixer I have ever seen as at least a 38°C/100°F setting.
And also people are talking about the temperature creeping up during the shower due to the pipes heating up… That doesn’t happen on a thermostatic mixer.
But I guess limescale could seize it up… I have just never experienced that, and the water is very hard where I live…
Just because it doesn’t have temperature markings doesn’t mean it can’t maintain a constant temperature (selectable from a wide band). These are mechanical devices without any electronics. They work by maintaining the pressure ratio you set between the hot and cold supplies. When they seize up they become “100% cold or 100% hot, no in between” devices. In other words, a cold/hot toggle switch.
The ones I’m talking about doesn’t just keep the pressure ratio static, they actually adapt to the temperature of the hot and cold water.
If the hot water drops in temperature, then the output water stays at the right temperature, but the output pressure might drop, as the mixer allow more of the hot water through, and less of the cold water.
Of course if the hot water drops below the set temperature, it can no longer maintain it’s temperature.
And yes these are also entirely mechanical, no electronics or even electricity.
Are thermostatic shower mixers not a thing where you guys live?
Nope. I hadn’t even heard of them until a few days ago, when someone from a different country than mine mentioned them, so I went searching the web to figure out what they were. I’m so jealous!
Mines just a valve that controls the flow of hot vs tap water, I know this for a fact cause I installed it myself. Mind you that doesn’t give away the daisy chained together nature of my water hook up but hey it works.
This is a thermostatic shower mixer. This is what happens when they seize up with limescale. This is not normal operation. The cartridge needs to be replaced.
Are you sure about that? I don’t see any numeric temperature settings. Every thermostatic mixer I have ever seen as at least a 38°C/100°F setting.
And also people are talking about the temperature creeping up during the shower due to the pipes heating up… That doesn’t happen on a thermostatic mixer.
But I guess limescale could seize it up… I have just never experienced that, and the water is very hard where I live…
This was my favorite thing about visiting Europe, and no, most Americans have no fucking clue what that is.
Just because it doesn’t have temperature markings doesn’t mean it can’t maintain a constant temperature (selectable from a wide band). These are mechanical devices without any electronics. They work by maintaining the pressure ratio you set between the hot and cold supplies. When they seize up they become “100% cold or 100% hot, no in between” devices. In other words, a cold/hot toggle switch.
The ones I’m talking about doesn’t just keep the pressure ratio static, they actually adapt to the temperature of the hot and cold water.
If the hot water drops in temperature, then the output water stays at the right temperature, but the output pressure might drop, as the mixer allow more of the hot water through, and less of the cold water.
Of course if the hot water drops below the set temperature, it can no longer maintain it’s temperature.
And yes these are also entirely mechanical, no electronics or even electricity.
My apartments hot water supply is really hot, so the band is still pretty narrow.
All hot is about 60° C, so you need comparatively little hot water, at least in relation to every other place I’ve showered…